Uncategorized Archives - Best Gym, Fitness Center & Aquatics | Active Wellness Center

Active at Kruse Woods is Hosting a Newly-Expanded Fall Prevention Program

jessica — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 20:41:58 +0000

NEWLY EXPANDED! FALL PREVENTION PROGRAM

Starts Weds, 9/10 | Mon-Fri, 12pm-12:50pm

Active Wellness Center at Kruse Wood’s newly expanded Fall Prevention Program is designed to improve strength, balance, independence, fall risk awareness, and overall health of participants in order to prevent falls and improve quality of life.

Fall Prevention classes will be led by Medical Exercise Specialists Mana Shintani and Zach Ovall, whose individual class series will focus on unique yet complementary aspects of fall prevention and recovery, resulting in a well-rounded and effective training program.

PROGRAM FORMAT:
Each six-week session includes exercise programming, education and support for people who are at risk or have a fear of falling, and/or have experienced a fall event in the past. Sessions will be held every six weeks, alternating between Skills & Strength and Better Bones & Balance.

SKILLS & STRENGTH:
Fall Prevention Skills & Strength with Zach Ovall will kick off our new format on Wednesday, September 10th with classes running Mon/Fri from 12pm-12:50pm. Skills & Strength will focus on postural awareness and improvement, vestibular training, balance and stability training, lower body and core strength development, mobility work, and fall recovery exercises.

BETTER BONES & BALANCE
On Monday, October 27th, Better Bones & Balance with Mana Shintani launches with stability, mobility and agility training that enable you to put into practice the skills you develop in Zach’s class.

Better Bones will be offered in-person on Mon/Thurs from 12pm-12:50pm and virtually on Tues/Fri from 12pm-12:50pm.

To learn more, contact Active Wellness Center at Kruse Woods (503.216.6606) or visit the specialty events page here.

Team Active content is not medical advice; it’s inspiration to LIVE ACTIVELY. Operating four Active Wellness Centers in California and Oregon, we strategically partner with hospital systems like Providence in Petaluma and Napa, California as well as Lake Oswego, Oregon. Active Wellness Center at NorthBay Health is powered by NorthBay Health in Vacaville, California.

Active’s strategic healthcare partnerships demonstrate our commitment to supporting healthy lifestyles in the communities we serve. Our community health clubs and gyms provide motivating fitness, weight loss, strength-training, medical fitness, aquatics and swim lessons, youth fitness and childcare programs, and group fitness including yoga, Zumba®, barre, Pilates, dance and cycling. *

Check the Active Wellness Center blog often for more healthy lifestyle tips and resources to support your active lifestyle! Click here for a free guest pass to your local Active Wellness Center.

*Active Wellness Center’s program and facility offerings may vary by location.

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Active at Reed’s Crossing I July 2025 Member of the Month

Amelia Simek — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 18:36:09 +0000

Congrats to July Member of the Month, Darren! Working out has always been a part of Darren’s life, but recently, pushed by personal reasons, Darren joined group classes and The ZONE program and found that working out in community has benefits that go beyond just getting stronger. It’s about showing up, feeling supported, and realizing that you’re not in it alone.

Check out Darren’s full story below!

Darren’s Story:

“I joined Active because I wanted to improve my health and fitness. Active was new and close to my home. Cancer, a heart attack, and heart surgery made maximizing my health a priority. Although I have always made exercise a part of my life, I primarily worked out solo. Active has made me really value and appreciate the camaraderie and increased motivation that group classes provide. At the suggestion of a trainer, I also joined The ZONE program. It provided measurable results very quickly, and I have made The ZONE a key part of my fitness activities. Having made big improvements to my cardio-vascular health, I decided to add Personal Training sessions to further increase my muscle mass. My goal is to look better and burn more calories. After a relatively short time, I am seeing noticeable improvements. In less than two years, I have transformed my body inside and out. I thank the trainers and staff for their expertise, infectious positivity, and fun personalities for helping me stay motivated. Active has become an important part of my life. I could not have achieved so much alone.“

Thank you for sharing your Active story with us, Darren! Your dedication to your health, bright attitude and the way you’ve embraced community inspires us! Thanks for being part of what makes our community awesome.

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Beyond Water: Natural, Low Sugar Sips to Stay Hydrated This Summer

Amelia Simek — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:35:39 +0000

Beyond Water: Hydration Tips and Recipes

By Nikki Alfano, Health Coach

As July ushers in longer, hotter days, staying hydrated is essential to maintaining your energy, mood and overall health. Health Coach Nikki Alfano offers helpful tips for how to rely on more than plain water for hydration, including a few tasty recipes for electrolyte sippers you can make at home.

Why Hydration Matters

Water is the foundation of all life and plays a crucial role in nearly every bodily function, from regulating temperature and flushing out toxins to supporting digestion and brain function. When the temperature rises, we lose more fluids through sweat, increasing the risk of dehydration. Even mild dehydration can lead to fatigue, dizziness, and irritability.

To stay adequately hydrated, aim to drink water regularly throughout the day, not just when you feel thirsty. Remember, thirst is a late signal that your body is already on the path to dehydration. The amount of water you should drink varies depending on activity levels, health conditions, height, weight and other factors.

Ways To Boost Hydration

One of the best ways to stay hydrated is by enjoying an abundance of juicy, water-rich fruits and vegetables. Eat smaller, lighter meals that are easy to digest during hot weather: think fresh and crisp! Many summer crops are naturally high in water, electrolytes and antioxidants, making them ideal for cooling the body and replenishing essential nutrients.

Cucumbers: 96% water
Zucchini & Squash: 95% water
Watermelon: 92% water
Tomatoes: 90-95% water
Berries: 80-90% water

Some helpful tips:

Start your day with a glass of warm lemon water to kickstart hydration and digestion.
Limit caffeine and alcohol intake, as they can contribute to dehydration.
Keep a reusable water bottle with you, maybe infused with some herbs like mint or basil, or slices of citrus and cucumber. Or, try one of the homemade electrolyte beverages listed below!
Don’t forget to bring water in the car as you run errands around town.

Homemade Electrolyte Beverages

The O.G.
2 Cups Water
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Raw Honey
Ice (optional)

Lime In The Coconut & Shake It!
1 Cup Coconut Water
1 Cup Water
¼ Cup Fresh Lime Juice
¼ tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp. Honey
Ice (optional)

For both recipes above, combine ingredients without ice and mix until salt has dissolved. Add ice if desired and start sipping!

Berry Berry Blast
2 Cups Water
½ Cup Mixed Berries
1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Honey
Ice (optional)

Combine water and berries in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain into a glass if desired, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until salt has dissolved. Enjoy!

Note: You can make and store these drinks in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Double or triple the ingredients and refrigerate in a sealed pitcher so you have some ready each day.

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Looking for more tips on health and overall well-being? Connect with Health Coach Nikki Alfano by emailing her at nikki.alfano@activewellnesscenter.com

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Health Coach Spotlight: Nikki Alfano

Amelia Simek — Thu, 29 May 2025 16:39:31 +0000

Health Coach Spotlight

Active at Reed’s Crossing

Nikki Alfano

We are excited to welcome Health Coach Nikki Alfano to our Active Wellness Center team.

A board-certified Functional Wellness Professional and Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, Nikki specializes in helping individuals reconnect with their bodies and uncover the root causes of imbalance. Her background in nutrition, culinary arts and whole-body wellness helps her bridge the gap between modern science and intuitive self-discovery to help clients better understand their unique biology, build nourishing habits and gently shift patterns that no longer serve them.

“I believe that healing is not one-size-fits-all; it’s personal and deeply rooted in understanding your body’s unique rhythms,” she said. “My passion lies in creating a supportive space where clients can feel empowered to explore how food, lifestyle, and mindset work together to support long-term well being.”

A former collegiate softball player, Nikki enjoys spending time with her partner and pets, gardening, foraging in nature, learning the cello, making art, experimenting with foods, and curating nourishing meals that are as joyful as they are healing.

“I’m so excited to be part of the Active Team and for the opportunity to collaborate in a mission-driven environment. I am here to listen, support, guide and celebrate you every step of the way.”

If you’d like to connect with Nikki to see how you can improve your overall wellness, call 503-512-5010 x1416 or email nikki.alfano@activewellnesscenter.com.

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Personal Trainer & ZONE Coach Spotlight: Shea Vallaire

Amelia Simek — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:43:02 +0000

Personal Trainer & ZONE Coach Spotlight

Active at Reed’s Crossing

Shea Vallaire

We are thrilled to welcome Shea Vallaire to the team at Active at Reed’s Crossing.

Shea brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the team that we’re excited to share with our members!

Growing up in a very Active family (her mom was a professional skier) Shea developed a passion for fitness early on. She ran cross country and track in college, where she learned the importance of strength, stabilization and recovery – shaping the thoughtful and holistic approach she brings to her coaching today.

Her approach focuses on helping clients feel confident, strong, empowered and supported, while building a healthy and sustainable relationship with movement.

Shea specializes in:

– Functional movement

– Injury prevention and rehab

– Endurance & weight loss training

– Fitness for beginners, older adults and women navigating hormonal changes

When she’s not training, you’ll find Shea outdoors running, skiing or hiking – or inside baking, crafting or learning the drums

Help us welcome Shea to the team and book an introductory training session with Shea at the front desk!

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Banana Oat Cookies

Amelia Simek — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:07:03 +0000

We’re celebrating National Banana Day 🍌 by sharing this sweet treat using one of our favorite high fiber, potassium packed, low-fat, low-calorie snacks… the banana. This Banana Oat Cookie recipe is gluten free and can even be made dairy free or vegan. If you have ripened or even beyond ripened bananas, put them to use with this delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

3 bananas overripe
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 Egg (can substitute apple sauce for dairy free)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1.5 c. quick cooking oats
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
Your desired amount of add-ins like chocolate chips, shredded coconut, nuts, raisins etc.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
In a bowl, mash the bananas
Add the honey, egg and vanilla and stir to combine
Add the oats, cinnamon and sea salt and stir until combined
If desired, add in your mix-ins and stir until evenly distributed
Scoop cookies to desired portions (about a heaping spoon full) and place on prepared baking sheet about 1-2″ apart.
Bake in preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes or until the tops are just set and the bottoms are lightly browned
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely
Serve lightly warm and enjoy!

Check the Active Wellness Center blog often for more healthy lifestyle tips and resources to support your active lifestyle! Click here for a free guest pass to your local Active Wellness Center.

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Recipe photo from: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/banana-oatmeal-cookies/

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Active at NorthBay Health | Member of the Month | April 2025

Megan — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:30:46 +0000

Active at NorthBay Health Member of the Month- Terri Rooney

Let’s meet the fabulous Terri Rooney! Terri has been a member here at Active since our re-opening in 2023. She loves so many of the offerings at the club! “I love Group-Ex (all of them!) because of the camaraderie and music (it keeps me moving!); but I’m also really motivated by weight training as it’s easy to measure your progress.” says Terri. Enjoying all that life has to offer, motivates her to live an active lifestyle. “I don’t stop moving much – ever. (Ask my husband! Haha!)” she says.

“It really began when I enlisted in the Navy at 18. I enjoyed that the military required you to stay fit, tested you to make sure you were, and there were always social competitions to join. It was the healthiest outlet when we were distant from family and friends, and I’ve never really stopped believing that activity=health.

As I grew older, and my management jobs became more stressful, physical activity was a great way of relieving stress. Weight training and hiking were great ways to share my love of activity with my kiddo, Jacki, before she far surpassed me in her physical abilities (proud mom here)!

At 68, I know that I feel better emotionally, mentally, and physically with consistently more challenging activity and there’s that added bonus of feeling pretty good in my own skin.”

Being a member here gives Terri a sense of community, “This fabulous facility & the team here have also helped me positively influence friends to become healthier and more active.”

Outside of the club, you can find Terri enjoying her hobbies, including, but not limited to: hiking, cooking & baking, photography, entertaining, gardening, crafting, planning for Halloween, singing and (new) playing the ukulele! “Thank goodness I’m retired so I can now have time to pursue them all!”

Terri says she’s always thinking ahead to her next active challenge. She trained for several months last year to complete the Camino de Santiago Frances with a good friend, walking 12 to 20 miles a day across Spain (nearly 500 miles). “It was an incredible experience!” Next on the list is hiking the Grand Canyon or walking the Appalachian Trail. In the immediate future, Terri plans on hiking some of the great trails around Seattle and also has a 10K in she’s looking forward to in May, running through the Avenue of the Giants. As new grandparents of twins, it’s important to Terri to make sure she can keep up with two little boys who will be toddling around soon!

Fun fact: At 60, she jumped off a mountain at about 7,000 feet to paraglide into the valley of Garmisch, Germany.

Thank you, Terri for your energy and dedication to Active. We appreciate you!

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Active at Reed’s Crossing I April 2025 Member of the Month

Amelia Simek — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:55:52 +0000

Congrats to our April Member of the Month, Sam Salinas! After retiring, Sam discovered that some aspects of leisure living were starting to catch up with him. He decided to get back into fitness on his own, but it wasn’t until he found Active at Reed’s Crossing that he truly got involved. Sam quickly joined classes and The ZONE program, where he’s not only found a supportive community but has also made great progress in his health journey!

Check out Sam’s full story below!

Sam’s Story:

“After working for four and a half decades, retirement sounded good. No more worries about what hour of the day it is. It’s just leisure living! That’s what I thought. When I retired five years ago, it was early 2020 at the time when we experienced inconveniences and limitations on the places we could go. I managed to stay busy by doing landscaping and tending a vegetable garden for two seasons during summer.

In 2022, I had my yearly medical exam and blood tests. It was a real eye opener of what retirement was doing to my health. Erratic blood reading results, 30 lbs. over weight and afternoon fatigue. I have to admit, I was indulging in the most unbalanced food consumption. Pastries and ice cream and oh, do I still miss those second helpings! Although I was exercising at the neighborhood gym two to three times per week. I noticed improvement, but I did not have a way to measure my health progress.

In November 2024, during my first visits to Active at Reed’s Crossing, I participated in a few aquatics classes. Then in early December 2024, Ms. Sierra at Active asked me if I wanted to participate in The ZONE. During our dialogue I learned that she is a knowledgeable and experienced instructor in the field of physical fitness. While signing up to become a ZONE member, I was given a MyZone electronic device that monitors important information like my heart-rate, my effort and more regarding my personal workouts.

12-weeks later, I’m happy to say that to this day, I have exceeded my monthly goal by 465 MEP’s for a total of 2465 towards a Bronze Status Level. MEP’s stand for “My Effort Points” and MEPs are a metric used in the Myzone fitness tracking system to measure the effort put into a workout. They are calculated based on a person’s heart rate and maximum heart rate.

Retirement has started to be more enjoyable and I have noticed lots of physical improvement in my coordination, strength, energy, agility and ergonomic awareness. A special thank you to Ms. Sierra for her professionalism as a fitness instructor, Ms. Alina for your kind smile at the check-in desk, Mr. Mohammed and everyone involved in making Active Wellness Center at Reed’s Crossing the best Wellness Center in the neighborhood.”

Thank you for sharing your Active story with us, Sam! The Active team loves seeing you at the gym and are inspired by your willingness to try something new for your health and your overall dedication and effort toward your health and all of your workouts. We see you with the awesome MEP increase! Way to go! Thanks for being part of what makes our community awesome.

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Active Wellness Center Reed’s Crossing I March 2025 eNewsletter

Amelia Simek — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 23:36:31 +0000

Catch up on all things Active with our monthly e-newsletter!

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Salmon & Quinoa Salad With Avocado

Amelia Simek — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 18:56:22 +0000

Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, known for their anti-inflammatory properties. In this salad salmon is paired with quinoa, a complete protein source, and topped with avocado for healthy fats. These nutrients support muscle growth, reduce inflammation and contribute to an effective recovery post exercise.

Ingredients:

Salmon

3 wild salmon filets
2.5 tablespoons low fat yogurt
1 small lemon juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon dill (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon cumin powder

Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked tricolor quinoa cooled
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup thin sliced red onion
5 cups mixed greens
2 medium avocados
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Directions:

Salmon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a bowl, add the yogurt, salt, black pepper, dill, cumin, and lemon juice, then mix. Place the salmon’s skin down and spread a thin layer of the creamy dill over the salmon. Place salmon in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are fully cooked.

Quinoa Salad

In a bowl, add the mixed greens, cucumber, quinoa, and avocado. Add your desired salad dressing.
Top the salad with the chunky salmon pieces, red onions and sunflower seeds.
Mix and enjoy!

Team Active content is not medical advice; it’s inspiration to LIVE ACTIVELY. Active Wellness strategically partners with hospital systems like Providence in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Active’s strategic healthcare partnerships demonstrate our commitment to supporting healthy lifestyles in the communities we serve. More than just a gym – Active’s community health clubs provide motivating programs in fitness, weight loss, cardio, strength-training, medical fitness, aquatics and swim lessons, youth fitness, childcare offerings, and studio group fitness classes including yoga, Zumba®, barre, Pilates, dance and cycling. *

With many offering indoor and/or outdoors pools, saunas and luxurious locker room amenities, our club is uniquely designed to serve its local community in living healthier, stronger, more active lives.

Check the Active Wellness Center blog often for more healthy lifestyle tips and resources to support your active lifestyle! Click here for a free guest pass to your local Active Wellness Center.

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